The University of Amsterdam will not hold the prosecuted pro-Palestinian demonstrators liable for the damage suffered by the university.
This concerns fourteen demonstrators, of whom thirteen have been prosecuted so far. Eight of them were convicted in May last year, mainly for violence against the police. Four people were sentenced to imprisonment.
During the pro-Palestinian demonstration in May 2024, buildings of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) on Roeterseiland and the Binnengasthuisterrein were occupied. Vandalism was also committed.
However, the university announced that it is difficult to prove that these fourteen demonstrators are also responsible for the damage. The UvA calls this “legally probably unfeasible,” writes the university magazine Folia.
In total, the damage amounts to almost 1.5 million euros. Additional costs for the delay of the new library are estimated at 2.8 million euros. These amounts will therefore not be recovered from the protesters.
The UvA received most of the damage compensation from the insurer.